Spring mounting for motor vehicles



AOR

'Filed April 27, 3,9225

SPRING MOUNTING FOB MOTOR VEHICLES Sept.. gil, i935..

Uu uw.

.ane-oer si. terreur, or canteen reine, new Yoan, seremos fro innerstaatlichen moron conn/ini?, or new vonnis. Y., a conroiea'rron or ontnemen.

MUNTTNG FUE MOTR VEHBGLES.

duplication illed April a?, 1928. Serial No. 634,@30.

To all who/ifi it may conce/Mt.:

Be it known that ll, AUGUST H. Lnirnn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at College Point, in the borough of Que-ens, ci the city ot New York, in the State oi' vNew and particularly vehicles of the Hotchkissv :drive wherein the d-riving torce `is trans.

mitted to the fra-ine 'through the rear springs. The general objects of the invention are to relieve the traine and spring and axles 'from those stresses which result 'from twisting movements impressed on such parte when all rigidly interconnected byreason oi: the variable vertical movements of the separate wheelswlien :following irregulaiitiesin the road surface. .t present, it is the practice to iix the supporting springs of a motor vehicle rigidly on the axles through saddles thereby constraining the axles to follow the movements of the springs. Divergent movements of the opposite springs of aepair iinpress torsional strains on the axle to which they are rigidly connected and these stra-ins are transmitted to the side 'frame members to which the springs are connected. The result is constant stresses of great moment on both the axles and the side frame members.

ln accordance with the present invention it isproposed to inount` one of the springs of a pair in amotor vehicle loosely on the axle so that the axle may oscillate on its own axis with respect to the spring and secure the other spring of the pair rigidly to the axle so that the axle is constrained to follow the movements thereof. Since the springs swing about the pins through which they are connected to the framev the axle is also swung about such pins as centers and tends to rock on its own taxis. By leaving the axle free with respect to one of the springs it is permitted to roch on its own axis while following the movements o1" the otherspring to which it is rigidly connected. This, to a. great extent, relieves the axle oi all. twisting stresses and the frame oi the vehicle of the reaction required to such stresses as are ordinarily transmitted therethrough by reason ot divergent movements oic the axle eisl under the influence ot the diiderent springs of a pair when vthe vehicle is traveling over an uneven road surface.

ln the preferred embodiment, as indicated hereinbefore, the improvements are incorporated in a Hotchkiss drive. Since one of the springs is rigidly connected to the" axle the torque stresses are taken by it while the other spring though freely mounted on the axle does its part of the work in trans mitting the driving forces to the :traina Theinounting oi the springs on the front axle may be similar and it is thought to be the best vpractice to rigidly connect one spring of the pair at the front on the side opposite to the rigid connection of one vspring oit the pair at the rear thereby aidord i ing the greatest degree of i-iexibility for the traine and the axles.l

The breadth of theinv'ention and the pre- 5 ferred means for practicing it will appear in greater detail from the description givenA with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a view in plan of so much off the chassis ot' a motor vehicle as is necessary for an illustration o the application oi' the improvements thereto.

Figure 2fis a view partly in side elevaw tion and partly in section of the right'heni rear wheel shown in Figure l and taken on the plane indicated by the line 2f-2 of Figure l. and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure Sis a view in section talren on the plane indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure l and looking in the direction or' the arrows., `Figures 2 and 3 being intended to illustrate schematically thecondition oi the road sui'- tace which might be encountered by the two wheels simultaneously. l

As indicated hereinbefore; the invention is primarily designed with reference 'to its incorporation in a motor vehicle in which the Hotchkiss drive is employed, that is, where the driving 'forces are transmitted to the trame through the rear springs. The drawings show in a somewhat conventional manner those elements of a vehicle which are" necessarily present in securing the ref tively. The conditions secured in and about the mounting of the rear springs will first be described since it is evident to one skilled in the art that sonic of the advantageous results described may be secured in a construction wherein only one pair of springs or a vehicle are mounted in accordance with the improvements. rlhe front end of the spring b is pivoted to one of the side frame members a while the front end of the other rear spring b2 is pivoted to the other side :traine member as as by a pin at. Shaclrles E, b4, may connect the rear ends of the springs b2, respectively, to the re' spective side frame members a', a3, lt is the' common practice to rigidly connect the axle tube ZJ to each of the rear springs in some such manner as is illustrated in Figure 3,

where a spring perch b5 is formed integral with the tube b and is connected rigidly to the spring b by Ubolts d, passingthrough a saddle d. If both rear springs b', b2 were thus rigidly Connected to the axle tube b it is evident that when they swing about their respective pins 112, ai, the tube is constrained to follow such swinging movements. Figures 2 and 3 indicate typical road. surface conditions at opposite sides of the vehicle and these igures suggest, ior instance, that while the left hand rear wheel e is about to go in a depression the right hand rear wheel f' is about to go over an elevation. Thus, while the spring L" is swinging downwardly the s 'ring b2 is swinging upwardlv. When the ax e tube Z1 is constrained to follow such divergent movements it is inanifestly `subjected to great twisting stresses. These stresses find their ref-action at the points of connection of the springs with the respective side frame members. ln this way, the side frame members are subjected to great stresses and the entire chassis itself is maintained under constant stresses which instead oir' making for flexibility contribute to rigidity and hard riding. By the present invention it is proposed to prevent the-corn straining or the axle I) through the two springs b, o2 of a pair so that while the axle is rigidly connected to one of 'the springs b it is free to rock on its own axis with resoect to the other spring z.- The invention is not concerned with the particular connectionl by which this freedom is achieved but as indicated in Figurn 2 the spring perch g is formed independently of the tube but bears thereon and may be lubricated through a cup g. lf the tube l) is subject to twisting stresses which tend to rock it in one direction or another it is Afree to rock within the spring perch g as will be evident and in that way the axle is relieved of the stresses whichsuch twisting strains set up ordinarily.

lVhen the improved mounting is also incoyporated in the front end' ot a chassis it is preferred to place the free bearing marked X at the opposite side of the frame from the free bearing marked X for the left hand rear spring b. In this case, the rigid connection between the lel't hand front spring c and the axle c is placed at the opposite side of the chassis from the rigid connection between the 'right hand rear spring b2 and the axle b. It is unnecessary to describe in detail the connections between the springs c', c, and the axle c since they may be of the same general character as described with reference to the free and rigid connections between the Arear axle b and the rear springs. By placing the free connections on the two axles at opposite sides ot' the chassis frame the greatest possible degree of fiexibilit is afforded in that the frame is relieve of stresses and is free to weave regardless of theI relative positions of the four wheels.

Changes in detailsoi construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope or' the invention so long vas the underlying principle of connecting one spring of a pair rigidly to an axle and the other spring logismely, is employed.

iat l claim iss' l. ln motor vehicle construction wherein the driving forces are transmitted through the spring suspension in vcombination with a chassis, axle and springs connected to the chassis and to the axle, means to connect one of the' springs rigidly to the axle and v the driving forces are transmitted through.

the spring suspension in combination with the chassis and front and rear axles, pairs of springs connected to the chassis and to the respective axles, means to connect one of the springs or each of the pairs rigidly to its yaxle and means to connect the other of the springs of each of the pairs to its axle with freedom for relative angular movement of the axle.

et, ln motor vehicle construction wherein the' driving forces are transmitted through the spring suspension in combination vwith the chassis and; front and rear axles, pairs of springs connected to the chassis and to `the respective axles, means to connect one of the springs of each of the pairs rigidly to its axle and means to connect the other of the springs of each of the pairs to its axle www@ with freedom for reatve angular movement of the :mm3 said last named connections being applied to the springs at the opposite sides of the elasss frame.

5.111 meier vehicle construction wherein driving forces are vtrzu'lsmitied through the spying suspension, in` combmton with the chassis frame and two axles, spring suspensions connecting the chassis frame and the axles,l respectively, means to connect ene of M the springs of the suspension rigidly to each axle, and means to cnneet a, spring with the ether end of each axle with provision for relative movementtherebetween.

This specification signed this 21st day of 15 ,fxprL A. 1DE 1923.

AUGUST H. LEIPERT, 

